Gov. Abbott, Commissioner Bush Say Construction Of Border Wall On State Lands Has Begun
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Today, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Governor Greg Abbott said construction of the border wall on government-owned lands in Starr County had begun.
Bush and Abbott's announcement was made at the same location where Bush announced late last month that the General Land Office (GLO) and Department of Public Safety (DPS) had reached an agreement to begin construction on the proposed wall.
Bush thanked Abbott for supporting the wall's construction, and called it an important safety measure for Texas.
"We will not stop until this wall is built and our border is secure. Fighting for border security requires a team effort, and I thank Governor Abbott, the state legislature, and our other partner agencies for their support of this cause," Bush said.
The wall's construction has been a point of controversy for years after being proposed by then-candidate Donald Trump before the 2016 election. One of Trump's electoral promises was to begin building the wall.
However, he was unable to deliver on those promises. After Joe Biden was elected in 2020 and ordered a halt to the construction process, Texas officials took it upon themselves to see the wall to completion.
Texas' plans also proved controversial. Some families refused to allow their private land to be used for the wall, sparking a battle over Texas' use of imminent domain laws to seize land for its construction.
Democratic officials in Texas were critical of the plan, including El Paso State Representative Mary Gonzalez, who called the wall a waste of money and an "abuse of executive authority."